In 5 years there hasn’t been a dull (good dull and bad dull) moment, and I’m proud that we still love each other so much. Even though there is some seriously hard crap going on all the time it seems like. In fact, just when I feel like I’m going to flip over a table because I stepped in dog poop or because our apt got burgled or because I’m sad about pip, or because I have a suspicious freckle or my identity got stolen or I’m lost driving in Queens…Jake sends me a stupid youtube video, or a photo of a baby chicken running, or maybe he does my taxes or shampoos my hair (figuratively), or it could be that he just laughs at the dumb stuff I say. Sometimes I can’t believe that there is just this guy who understands me so well, adores my quirks, forgives me of my faults, and he’s even hot.

WTF, right?

Anyway, I’m not trying to get all bragsville..I’m just really proud of 5 years. BTW being married for 5 years makes me sound like I’m at least 40 in NYC.

Well, I better go! That Jake’s not going to snuggle himself!

(I love posting old photos. sometimes I just spend hours looking at old photos of pip and me/jake when we were younglings.)

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I refuse to believe that because I’m not a very good cook. Thankfully, I have learned to cheat by using butter, cheese and gravy.  I breaded and fried up some chicken, along with homemade cornbread, mashed potatoes and mac ‘n cheese for a birthday dinner fit for a southern king. The only non-scratchy on the list was the gravy, which was a powdery substance that came from some kind of envelope.

If only Jake was a sweets guy. I can bake much better than I can cook, and my specialty is Key Lime Pie. Jake’s favorite. The only thing better than making key lime pie is also making the crust and the whipped cream. I love to bake. I wish I had more time to do it and also more people to eat it.

In recent beard news: as an attempt to be professional at his new job, Jake has shaved his beard. don’t worry it will grow back.

Happy birthday love!

Jake and I have been really working on our relationship lately. I’m trying to think before I say and Jake is working on things too. It’s been really good, we love each other again!

Jake has been organizing and decluttering, and I’ve been obsessively searching craigslist for items that better suit us visually and practically. Jake and I are going on 5 years of marriage, and I still feel like our apartment is in newlywed mode. We have things that aren’t either of our tastes, and things that are cheaply made that we thought would tide us over until we could afford nicer and prettier. We still can’t really, and that’s where craigslist comes in. If you spend enough time on there, you are bound to be able to find exactly what you want in your price range. I found this gorgeous antique mirror for a steal. I think this thing is well over a hundred years old, and it is so detailed and perfect. But it took a week’s worth of emails and getting lost in Yonkers to finally have it in our posession. I do love Craigslist though, I do.

I’m doing my yearly tango with running. I am so out of shape right now. Each mile is pure agony and I am trying my hardest to enjoy it. I have two marathons lined up this fall, one is only about 9 weeks away! I am barely able to run 5 miles, so……this should be interesting! haha.

We just booked flights to go to Palm Springs for Labor day weekend. I’m excited since I’ve never been there and a friend of mine who lives there just had a wee baby. We will also be there to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday. I’m so excited to be staying at the Parker Hotel, which was designed (I’m sure just the interior) by Jonathon Adler himself! Can’t wait. I hear Palm Springs is an estate sale/thrift store treasure trove, anyone know of the good places?

Anyway, since Pip can’t do anything but jump around and think about the next shuffle ball change/song combo she’ll do (“Hello my baby, Hello my darlin’!!”) the pics always end up ridiculously blurry. 

Finally I got her to settle down sort of a little bit and was able to get some non blurs.

Remember how much I love to match? I’m a polka dot matcher above!

And below I’m a spouse matcher. A few years ago I did hair for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and we were given matching lover shirts. We changed into these to lounge without even planning on it and it was the most romantic moment ever.Jake insisted on having his face cut out of the picture. Not because he is self conscious, but because he thought it would be funny.

Good bye.

This year, after finding out that Ken was trying to get back together with Barbie, we decided to get some limited edition Barbie cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. They have messages from Ken, begging her back. I am completely tickled pink by this Mattel marketing trick. The whole Barbie and Ken break up, then getting back together. I think it’s clever. Plus I’ve been a Barbie fan my whole life.**

“You’re the only doll for me”

Psssst. Jake doesn’t really like cake that much, and I have no self control, so having cupcakes around is kind of rare in our house.

Jake only had one bite, but somehow all four were almost gone within about an hour after dinner.
I know how bad sugar is for me. I know I know I know I know I know.
I know. I know.

We did fondue at home and watched a movie. We snuggled and talked and laughed like always. I love my V’tine.

**Fun fact: I was voted Barbie Lookalike for my senior superlative. Please tell me your superlatives. It is my favorite thing ever.me 2001
(and before you tease, I’ll have you know that shimmering lipgloss was all the rage in 2001)

When I say nerdy, I mean things like this…

He built a website so the photos from Apollo 17 could be more easily viewed. Apparently they weren’t very well organized before, and Jake had to do something about it. He is cool and nerdy at the same time. The good kinds.

Also, he was interviewed for Under Republic Magazine, which was pretty rad. You should read it. It’s really sweet.

Maybe I should listen to this lady though, or else someone will try and snatch him up from me.

We first did Italian for dinner, I started out with Goat Cheese salad, Jake had Ministrone soup, then for our entres, I had pasta with vodka sauce, and Jake had veal. It was delicious. I kept trying to think of what we should do for part two of our date, and even though I’ve been dying to see Blue Valentine, I decided that a movie about a rocky marriage wouldn’t be right for the occasion.

Then it hit me-we’ll karaoke.

There are a lot of karaoke spots in New York (we go to Korea Town), where you rent out a room, and do it all privately. Like when they’re all wearing wigs and doing karaoke on “lost in translation”. I called and made a reservation at the place we used to go to for Karaoke club before Col and Aubrey moved, which is called Duet 35. I made a reservation for 2 hours.

We nearly had to be dragged out of there. We sang everything in the book. We karaoke’d from 9pm-2am, just the two of us.

Here are a few songs we sang:
Jake
Billy Idol-Eyes without a Face
Police-Message in a bottle
Oasis-Wonderwall
New Order-Bizarre Love Triangle
Nirvana-Lounge Act
Pixies-Here comes your man

Reagan
Sublime-Santeria
Pat Benetar-Love is a battlefield
Weezer-Why Bother
Regina Spektor-Hotel Song
Lady Gaga-Bad Romance
Cardigans-Sick and Tired
Gwen Stafani-Luxurious

I took a few pictures of Jake too, but he didn’t like them and didn’t put them in my picassa. Stupid!

Anniversary date outfit:
Sparkle Top-Vintage, Skirt-H&M, Tights-Target, Boots-Target, Lipstick-MAC Lady Danger.

All day yesterday we sent each other texts to say how much fun we had. It was the best time. If you are in NYC, you have to try out one of these Karaoke spots! They are a Ball!

Here are a few pictures of us that I love.
2008

2009

I love Jake to pieces. We joke around (but it’s true) that we were crazy to get married the way we did. I’m glad we didn’t care what people thought and I’m glad we didn’t let our fears stop us, because when Jake is with me, everything is better. Everything.

Plus he is really hot. Don’t Be Jeal.

Also, we have a really sneaky little cutie-pip together.

So, not to dwell on the fact that Jake wasn’t dressed scantily, he still looked like a tall drink of water.
Fancy-sparkling water.

I threw on a little winter white number and called it a day. (ps my 9 dollar manicure is on day 8 without a single chip. can you believe that?)

I chased Jake through a dark ally apparently. He lived.
Pheeeww.

For dinner, Jake had Gnocchi to start out, and the Veal for his entree. I had Tomato soup with cheese, shitake mushrooms and caviar for a starter, and potato ravioli for dinner. They brought out my soup bowl with just the caviar, cheese (it was some kind of creamy feta) and shitake mushrooms placed beautifully in it. Then they came out with a little pitcher and poured the soup in with the rest. It was so cool! As hard as I was trying to pretend like it’s a totally common-totally normal thing for me to eat at fancy places while sitting next to former president’s daughters, I had a hard time keeping up the show when they whipped out fancy stuff like that. I was giddy about the soup pouring.  Next time I make lipton’s I’m going to pour it from a fancy pitcher into my bowl of goldfish crackers. Like I learned at Blue Hill.

We shared raspberries over lemon sorbet and cheesecake mousse for dessert. Sweet, sour and smooth is the formula for yum if you want to know my opinion..

I hope Jake had as good of a time as I did! Because he is cute and deserves it.

Jake and his mom, Beth, in 1979.

It’s Jake’s birthday today. I have always loved this picture of him getting down to birthday business. He is Piper’s age in it, and I think they look so much alike.

Anyway, Jake is the type of person who hates attention and birthday fuss. I think that’s just silly, birthdays are awesome.

And now, a sexy poem.

Jake, Oh Jake.
How I love you so
You are so hot, and you don’t even know
I like to make out with you every day
And snuggle up tight in a snuggle up way
Don’t feel sad about getting older
Hopefully you’ll always have use of your shoulder
I like you a lot and I love you hard core
With us together, life’s never a bore
I promise to cook and keep you well fed
I just invented this poem off the top of my head
Your eyes, height and hiney are all visually appealing
Can’t wait for our date, hope you wear something revealing.

Hooray. Muah. And have a nice life.